.DALLAS — The Derek Fisher-Dallas Mavericks saga had one last loud go-round Sunday, as the point guard who played nine games for Dallas between Thanksgiving and Christmas was lustily booed when he checked in late in the first quarter.

Mavs owner Mark Cuban led the chorus.

“I’ll just boo him like hopefully everybody else,” Cuban said prior to the Mavs taking on Fisher’s new team, the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Fisher signed with the Thunder in late February, about two months after asking the Mavs to release him from his contract. Fisher said in a statement at the time that he wanted to return to his family in Los Angeles. Fisher, 38, immediately took over as the starting point guard for Darren Collison and averaged 8.4 ppg and 3.4 apg. The Mavs, who have had trouble finishing games all season, were 5-4 with Fisher.

After the 17-year veteran signed with title-contending Thunder, the team he joined late last season, as well, Cuban reacted with sarcasm. He said that Fisher’s kids had time to grow up during the eight weeks between leaving the Mavs and joining the Thunder, and Cuban joked that it’s easier to fly in and out of Oklahoma City than Dallas.

On Sunday, Cuban said that Fisher repeatedly made pitches to him and asked for advice before signing with the Mavs. Cuban said he “took the bait.”

“With his history, I shouldn’t have been surprised with what happened,” Cuban said. “I tried to offer him some help. I thought I offered him some positive encouragement and advice, and then we signed him. I expected a different turnout than what happened.”

After the 2007 playoffs with the Utah Jazz, Fisher asked out of his contract to better deal with his infant daughter’s battle with eye cancer. He later signed a three-year contract to return to the Los Angeles Lakers. Last season, after being dealt from the Lakers to the Houston Rockets, he had his contract bought out and joined the Thunder, who lost to the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.

After Sunday’s shootaround, Fisher said he holds no hard feelings toward Cuban. He hopes Cuban will eventually feel the same.

“I love Mark and I have a tremendous amount of respect for what he’s done and does in terms of this team,” Fisher told The Dallas Morning News. “There’s no question about how passionate he is for his team. If it was my team and I wanted to win, I would want as many players that I felt like could help me.

“I take [Cuban’s criticism] more as a positive thing than a negative. He saw some value I provided and would like to still have me here. But as far as long-term for me, I don’t have any issues with Mark, and hopefully one day, we’ll be able to get past this and have much more things to enjoy and laugh about than the short few weeks here.”

111 Comments

Yeah this is getting old with Fisher I am sure there are plenty of Athletes who wld lov to stay close to their Fam but they also sign contracts & shouldn’t be able to resign with another club that same year if they ask & then get released for personal reasons sounds like Fisher just uses his Fam to better his chances to get on a winner

Whatever Cuban! Owners get good deals and laugh about it, but when you lose a deal you go all sarcastic? I mean come on! You didn’t have to release him from the contract. You did. He signed with a team that he thought would have a better chance to win a championship than you did. You guys have no loyalty to players, why should players have loyalty to you?

fisher is very loyal.. with the title shot teams. a good snitch, who sent all his friends in jail to have a nice life, be sure this kind of person will always end in a good position, waiting someone else success to jump on it like a good parasyte. false familly excuses, flops.. too bad, without this vicious mentality he could have been a respectable player

NBA has the worst refs in all of professional and non professional sports. Just a group of Stern’s henchmen, solidifying who he thinks should be in the finals. Glad he is retiring before he completely ruins the game. Coddling the so called NBA Stars (overpaid collusion babies) as well as the inconsistent calls night after night is making it impossible to watch. Go March Madness!

fisher leaving dallas is nothing but the way he did it, it’s a big deal very disrespectful hope somebody replace his position in the union this is not a good example for the others. doing business is fine but you can do business with respect unlike what he did.

Mark Cuban knows better than anybody else, it is business and he has done the same. Also he is not a man of principal who can preach. Fisher knows the system and he worked with the system to get what he wanted. Since when Mark cares for players future. He has one objective and be successful in any price. I do believe Fisher did what was right for him and Mark deserve it well.

I’m a mavericks fan and when Derek joined I thought we might make the playoffs.Now, with all the injuries that has happened, the chances of making the playoffs is 0.it will be interesting how the mavericks will be next year and who is on our team.

i still think Dallas has a legit chance of making the playoffs. In fact, i have them getting the eight seed and having the lakers miss the playoffs. no jks, and in all honesty i truly am NOT a lakers fan

Its not just the Mavs or Utah that Fisher has done this too also the Warrors and Rockets. i am not against any person resigning their employment for family reasons provided its genuine but Fisher had played the family card once too often and one has to doubt his sincerity and integrity these days. Add in the players union mess and the 25,000 freebie gold watch well there is not much credibility left for one Derek Fisher on the other hand having a franchise owner like Mark Cuban call you out is a bit like the pot calling the kettle black, franchise owners wheel and deal all the time making up excuses to draft or transfer players at a moments notice and nobody but nobody ever take into account the emotional implications or stress involved for the players. Derek Fisher has done what most franchise owners do regularly,it’s just that the fans expect more loyalty from the players. Fisher and Cuban deserve each other, no matter what Fisher brings to the lockeroom has all been lost in his integrity breaking dealings. Retire gracefully Derek and let go of the players Union otherwise we may see this happening every playoff, Derek Fisher could hang onto the union until he’s 45 as gullible franchises put him on short term contracts in that personal pursuit of a 6th ring.

Cuban wouldn’t be having these issues with Fisher who isn’t really worth it when his team took Allen Iverson instead. Not only would they have gotten a much better player; they would have also been in at least one of the playoff spots right now.

Clearly Fisher is manipulating the system. Anytime he’s been signed by a non-contender he has managed to get released or bought out (a better version of a release) so he can sign with a contender. He should ask to be traded which is how the business is designed to be handled.

The fix is simple. Make a rule that any player who asks to be released from their contract is ineligible to sign with any other team for the remainder of that season. The player can only re-sign with the former team, and for the same contract (minus the missed pay during the requested leave time).

This just brings to light the state of affairs that the Mavs are in after HE dismantled the Championship team….Remember how Cuban let Steve Nash go? Nash goes to PHX and became a 2 time MVP….and Cuban used all these numbers that showed how Nash would decline based on the minutes and years of playing point….same thing with J Kidd who left after agreeing to come back but saw the writing on the wall, Cuban cried foul over that…..same thing with D Williams….Cuban had to film Shark Tank first w/o bothering to talk face to face with the one position player that they have always needed…I love Cuban for his dedication to bringing a winner to Dallas but he does himself a disservice every time he cries how woe is me, look at how these players are treating me….Carlisle is the best thing he’s done since he’s been here, but the guy is working with next to nothing which further shows his great coaching ability but the Mavs Championship season is beginning to look more and more like an anomoly instead of a team that has sustained greatness ( Like San Antonio) of always being in the mix when talk of contenders begins…Fisher has used the forcefield of family in order to come out looking like a great guy when we all know that he, along with J Kidd looked around at Dallas’ roster and knew it wasn’t going anywhere…as shrewd a business move like any owner has ever pulled…Cuban, love ya but stop cryin’

FIsher owns big time, he is the best of the best at his job he goes wherever he wants whenever he wants, the guy is one of the smartest players ever, he is getting his 6th ring this year and i bet hes gunna end up a HOF as the most diplomatic player in the history of NBA. He could come back and forth until hes 45 and get deals with the best teams in the league until he gets 2-3 rings more.

At first I also thought it was kind of foul what Fisher did but after giving it some more thought I think I have to respect his dealings wholeheartedly. Because think about it, how many times do players get traded without being given any information that they are even being discussed for any kind of trade? no phone call, nothing? A lot of times players only hear the news through media outlets, the organizations don’t even have the guts to inform the players themselves. So why not switch it? They always say “well it’s still a business…”, ok so that’s how D-Fish looks at it as well and pulls no punches. If the only way they will release him is if he gives personal reasons than it’s totally understandable that he’ll go to those lengths. Organizations always get away with this stuff because, we as fans don’t have a face to blame but if player does it he doesn’t have integrity and so on…no, imma go with D-fish on this one.

Cuban simply felt he got cheated & fell for the bait. Nothing more. What some guys say here is correct. It’s a business. Teams dealt players whether they like it or not, when team has the power. Now the players look out for their own interests in various ways. That’s the way it is.

As Cuban said, it’s not what he did, it’s how he did it. If he needed to leave the team to be with his family, that’s understandable. I’d do it too. But once he was ready to join the team again, why couldn’t that be Dallas? Oh, because the Mavs won’t even make the playoffs and OKC is going to the West Finals at a minimum… Let’s not try to sugar coat it and say ‘he is being a father first’. Leaving Dallas was fine. Signing back up with OKC so soon, was a dog act. Dennis Rodman should take over Fisher’s Union position…..

If Fischer really did use the same unprofessional tactics to get released from contracts/obligations to other organizations, then Cuban is an IDIOT and a bad businessman for trusting that Fisher wouldn’t do the same to the Mavs. He has only himself to blame, and should act accordingly.

I feel that people quit jobs everyday for the betterment of their family if Fisher and his wife does not see the team he is with beneficial to him, his career, and family than I would do the same. Some of you go to work and use company computer and phones to look for other jobs. So take care of your responsibility and he will take care of his. Dallas and all the other teams don’t have to give him a reason to let him go so he did what he saw necessary to do to provide for his not your family nor your team. The question is did Mark Cuban have to pay him once he left? NO, so just be quiet please!!!!

Sooooo…. when owners and management are greedy and shady and inconsiderate of their team’s well-being or the fans’ feelings, that’s okay? That’s “just business.” But a long-time player with multiple championships under his belt is “deceitful” and “a disgrace”?! That is a backward way of thinking, to say the least.

One more thing–I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: SHUT UP, MARK CUBAN. Can you go one day without going on a Donald Trump rampage? Go to the games, watch your sad little team, count your money, and SHUT UP.

I agree with ‘Cuban is right this time’ especially after he and Donnie Nelson blew-up the team last year. Derek Fisher is going to play with OKC until they are down 0-3 in the NBA Finals, then use his family as an excuse to move to Miami for health reasons, sign with the Heat (Miller out with bad back) and win a championship.

Fisher might be stretching the family excuse, but if it’s because he’s driven to win championships that’s exactly the quality the NBA needs in players and it’s the quality fans want to see in players. There’s nothing more frustrating as a fan than watching a great player unable to complete a championship run for his team. Although Fisher isn’t “great” he has the spirit of greatness, despite personal shortcomings.

I dislike the Mavs only because of the rivalry it has with the club I support, but I respect the Mavs owner for how he seemingly goes all out to support his team. Derrick Fisher, you are a washed up pile of garbage who contributed to the lock out, you are trying in vein to remain relevant with a title-contending team, and you are a sick b@stard for using your children’s illnesses as an excuse. You make me sick.

When Fisher used his Children as an excuse in Utah he was going to New York and as soon as he was released he ran straight to the Lakers. That’s fine to run to the Lakers or OKC But don’t use your Children for your excuses. Fisher like it or not has lost a lot of fans and a lot of Respect from NBA fans because of his tactics.

Who cares? The two had come to an agreement that Fisher would be released when he asked to be, Not to mention Cuban and all the other owners in the league are/were allowed to amnesty a player, which is simply the reverse of this situation.

I don’t see Cuban’s point here? Fisher wants to play for a contender but at the same time wants to stay close to home. Derek Fisher basically wants to be back in Purple and Gold and who can blame him. He’s won 5 rings there and his right hand man (Kobe) is there. Cuban just need to stop picking up former Laker players that all.

not the first laker that ended up with mark cuban to go let me the hell out of here with what ever excuse they can use. Maybe Mark is to involved with the management of the team Al Davis style. Jerry Buss ran the busniness and hired ex players to coach and run his many championshps and everyone hated to be traded away from them….Hmmmmm! What a concept.

I think Fisher is a stand up guy and does not use his children as an excuse to leave a team. Plus, I’m sure all teams he signed with KNEW his situation before he was signed. I’m sure Fisher was brought to each team because he (Fisher) could help each team…what other reason would a team sign a player. So for Mr. Cuban to slam Fisher yet again is just typical Cuban and its just noise to most NBA fans. To judge Fisher without knowing what was going on with the teams he signed with is just wrong…but then again ALL fans right or wrong will have SOMETHING to say!

his “situation”?
what situation? the lyin, cheatin, deceivin backstabbin kind
i dont much respect a guy who stabs a man who gives him charity in the back, bitin the hand which feeds him, had he not played for dallas would Oklahoma have turned to him?
shows a lotta selfishness, big smear on his reputation

It’s a problem with the NBA system apparently, in that players have a choice in playing somewhere else if they can find a way out. But being as good a businessman as Cuban is, you’d think he’d learn first from his mistake with another former Laker in Odom.

Fisher is just the worst kind of person, and unfortunately more and NBA employees seem to be of his variety and less and less like your Rose or Faried’s of the world, who are humble kids with respect for the game and the fans.

fisher just wanna get more rings than kobe, he knew lakers re not contender and quickly ran to Dallas,then german machine got injured fisher is like hmmmmm OKC or miami hmmm,miami won last year hmmm okc should win this year if they dont win i go back to miami next year unless lakers is a contender again, i was very disappointed and he is a leader wow. i dont blame cuban,cuban was betrayed 4 sure,

I think Mark Cuban just needs to grow up and stop crying about everything. Its not like Derek Fisher was some MAX player who was going to make them title contenders.. On the part of Fisher, Teams make trades not caring for where the players go or how they react, not a big deal to me if players feel like they do not want to play somewhere specifically or have a change of heart, GMs have change of hearts all the time.

well i feel like when he asked utah to let him go, he did have his daughter’s condition on his mind.
keep in mind the lakers weren’t really considered contenders when he re-joined them. utah had better success in the playoffs at that point in time.
he had just wanted to go to a city that had the right medical care for his daughter while being on a team that had a remote chance of playoff contention (also keep in mind the clippers at the time were the clippers before blake griffin and chris paul joined)

but this latest release, yeah i do feel like he sensed the mavs wouldn’t go anywhere and asked to be let go with the intention of signing with a championship contender.

What??? you mean this is the first you’ve heard of a guy leaving a team to go to another team for a better chance at a championship? At least he doesn’t hold an hour special on ESPN stating why he wants to leave…

ahh yes, turn this into a lebron thing. in fact, if you want to bring it up, it’s totally different. LBJ owed the cavs nothing, fisher had a contract. LBJ didn’t lie as to why he left. fisher did. LBJ didn’t demand ESPN make the special. he got asked to, and pressured all season for his decision. he donated all takings to charity. what was he going to personally gain by doing it? nothing, but boy and girls club sure came out alright.

@KR
i dont know if mike was making it an LBJ thing or not but what u said is definitely true. He didn’t owe anything to the cavs. He gave 100% everyday in Cleveland…NOT that i am a heat OR a LBJ fan. Celts4life

Stop all the whining. Teams make “business” decisions all the time and cut players without showing any loyalty. Cuban is just mad because his pride got hurt. Fact of the matter is, he practically dismantled his team right after it won the championship and his team has been struggling from his poor decision making ever since. I like Cuban but he got that one completely wrong. Fisher is a quality person and player. People are blowing this all out of proportion. His daughter definitely had better and more convenient access to the medical care she needed by being in LA rather than what would have been available had he remained with Utah…so just stop harping about that. Everyone just needs to get over it and move on.

Why is everyone getting on fisher for leaving dallas? These billionaires cry about a player leaving yet they spend their whole summer on yatchs, not to mention how they release players and trade them and then call it a “bussiness move”…but when a player wants to win a ring and build his legacy they’re the bad guys? GTFO!!!!!

Teams have a right to trade players. It’s written in their contracts. What’s not written is that players may leave for another team. Granted Fisher didn’t do this outright. He asked permission (and got it) to leave for family reasons, and then joined another team a few weeks later. That’s just distasteful.

Imagine if an owner asked if he could release a player (and not pay him) because of the owner’s family’s has a financial crisis. Then use the money he just saved by dropping the player to sign a new player. Oh wait, you can’t do this. There are rules against it. Well there should be a rule against the Fisher bailing like that.

Utah & Dallas should’ve had some sort of clause in their contracts with Fisher that if he ever decided to go back to the NBA then he would have had to approach them first to re-sign. If at that time they don’t actually need or want him back then he could go and sign with a contender. That would’ve been respectful.

I don’t think Derek Fisher held a gun to Cuban’s head when Fisher made his pitch to obtain an outright release. Which saved Cuban money. If Fisher worked the system (and played by the existing rules) so that he could benefit financially (and otherwise), so what. Cuban has made a billion dollars doing the exact same thing. Instead of “lustily” booing, Cuban should just acknowledge that Fisher worked the system successfully. It’s not like Dallas is going to the playoffs or that Cuban would have signed Fisher to another contract for next year.

More loyalty? The NBA is a business unfortunately and there isnt much loyalty in regards to how teams move their players. Its not like Cuban is Mr.Loyalty anyway, his team won the finals in 2011 then he gutted his whole team and didnt make it out of the first round the following year

I personally dont have a problem with how Fisher did things here. It’s a business at the end of the day, how many times do NBA players get traded and shipped around at a moments notice? He’s been around for a while now and obviously knows how to get his way… However in saying all of this I don’t really agree with the whole “using the kids as an excuse” deal, but even this is circumstancial evidence against Fisher – things can change day to day in family life so who is to say he’s making anything up?

I don’t understand how Fisher and Odom can behave so unprofessionally and quit on the team that was paying them. If they are not interested, they should not take up the job. After taking it up, they have to give it their all to deliver the goods. These two disappointed a lot of Dallas fans!

I like Derek Fisher but he’s not respectable because of his attitude, he always wants to be part of a contending team. I don’t blame him for that but the way he joins contending teams is disrespectful. I’m pretty sure he takes advantage of his poor children he should be supporting to correct his stupid mistakes.

How many times is Fisher going to use his family as an excuse to get himself out of a contract (first Utah and then Dallas)? At this rate they are going to come up with some “Derek Fisher” rule to prevent a player from getting a team to outright release him and then signing up with a contender before the previous contract would have expired.

“Derek Fisher” rule? haha that’s funny…don’t forget he also did this in golden state….he’s just that smart to use his family to go to better teams lmao…and to consider that hes the president of the players union lol